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When the smoke cleared Tuesday night, a sometimes-controversial member of the West Lafayette City Council had handily beat a fellow Democratic challenger vying for his seat.

District 2 incumbent Peter Bunder, an Episcopal chaplain, beat challenger Tom Herr, a Lafayette attorney, with 66 percent of the vote, according to preliminary results.

The race offered a rare flurry of campaigning in a municipal primary cycle that otherwise was fairly uneventful.

During his campaign, Bunder touted several pieces of legislation he's authored, including simmering efforts to create a citywide historic preservation policy and a quashed measure that would have imposed a metered trash fee.

"I am grateful that I earned re-election, thanks to the hard work of my fellow Democrats in West Lafayette," Bunder said after the results rolled in Tuesday.

Herr, who expressed disappointment in Tuesday's results, in his campaign argued that Bunder's legislative efforts haven't always been backed by the majority of residents in the near-campus council district.

Among other things, Herr criticized Bunder's historic preservation plans, saying they could drive up the costs of homeownership in local historic districts.

He previously told the Journal & Courier that some District 2 residents asked him to run because they took issue with Bunder's performance in office.

But some voters at the polls Tuesday -- including 25-year West Lafayette resident Sharon Dull -- disagreed.

"I went with Mr. Bunder," Dull said. "He has really helped with the historical (preservation) aspect, and I really appreciate that."

Although the general election isn't until November, Bunder's win may propel him back onto the council by default. That's because so far, no Republican has emerged to vie for his seat.

Bob Hicks, chairman of the Tippecanoe County Republican Party, said local GOP members plan to huddle soon to discuss filling the ballot in races in which Democrats so far are running unopposed. The deadline for adding general election candidates is June 30.

District 2 is among the seats they'll look at, Hicks said. So far, though, he said the GOP isn't ready to announce a potential candidate.

After the results came in Tuesday, Bunder said he plans to keep campaign materials on-hand should he face an opponent in November.